Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Calling the Wild: The History of Arkansas Duck Calls -- A Legacy of Craftmanship and Rich Hunting Tradition chronicles and celebrates the long tradition and craftsmanship of duck calls. Drawing from the renowned collection of author and collector, Mike Lewis, who holds of the largest private collection of Arkansas duck calls in the country, this epic historical photographic journal showcases more than 700 duck calls. This collector's volume will be cherished by all who revere waterfowling as well as American folk art.
The vast numbers of migrating mallards, the most vocal of all waterfowl along the Mississippi Flyway, leads to an almost religious experience for duck hunters in the flooded timber fields of Arkansas. Arkansas has long been known as the Mecca for duck hunting in the United States.
Backwoodsmen in the sunken lands of Northeast Arkansas around the turn of the 20th century adopted the duck call early on as a means to lure the talkative, but wary, mallard within shooting range. Creating duck calls that are equal parts function and folk art, Arkansas call makers have long stood at the pinnacle of their craft.
Perhaps as important is the connection with the history and lore of wildfowling. While early duck hunters relied on decoys and abundant ducks, the duck call, from its beginnings to the present day, shows how the sport has evolved.
Duck hunting is entrenched in Arkansas culture, where Stuttgart is known as -the duck hunting capital of the world- and is the site of the annual -World Championship Duck Calling Contest.- Duck hunters come from all over the world to hunt at this spot along the Mississippi Flyway, which runs from Canada to South America.
Synopsis
Few possessions are as highly prized by duck hunters as their favorite calls. Enabling the hunter to attract waterfowl by mimicking their sounds, the skillfully crafted and highly individualized calls are revered for the craftsmanship and rich history associated with this uniquely American art form.
In Calling the Wild: The History of Arkansas Duck Calls -- A Legacy of Craftmanship and Rich Hunting Tradition, avid Arkansas duck call collector and author Mike Lewis chronicles the history of Arkansas duck call making and captures the spirit of over fifty renowned call makers with enthralling, evocative historical profiles. He recounts how Arkansas artisans dominated the early market and continued to influence the design and refinement of the modern duck call through the vivid combination of images and stories. The four-hundred-page book traces the evolution of call design from 1890 to 2017, featuring the work of call makers whose contributions of handcrafted duck calls are highly regarded as among the most prized in the world. Lewis includes over three hundred call makers and over seven hundred photographs that facilitate identification of the calls in this highly collectable legacy publication.
This photographic journal is an invaluable reference book and collector's guide, a treasurable accessory to waterfowling, woodworking and folk art enthusiasts and a must for collectors who will assuredly pore over its pages time and time again.